CHAPTERIBOYHOODANDYOUTHMygrandfatheronmyfather'ssidewasofalmostpurelyDutchblood.WhenhewasyounghestillspokesomeDutch,andDutchwaslastusedintheservicesoftheDutchReformedChurchinNewYorkwhilehewasasmallboy.About1644hisancestorKlaesMartensenvanRooseveltcametoNewAmsterdamasa"settler"--theeuphemisticnameforanimmigrantwhocameoverinthesteerageofasailingshipintheseventeenthcenturyinsteadofthesteerageofasteamerinthenineteenthcentury.Fromthattimeforthenextsevengenerationsfromfathertosoneveryoneof uswasbornonManhattanIsland.Myfather'spaternalancestorswereofHollandstock;exceptthattherewasonenamedWaldron,awheelwright,whowasoneofthePilgrimswhoremainedinHollandwhentheotherscameovertofoundMassachusetts,andwhothenaccompaniedtheDutchadventurerstoNewAmsterdam.Myfather'smotherwasaPennsylvanian.HerforebearshadcometoPennsylvaniawithWilliamPenn,someinthesameshipwithhim;theywereoftheusualtypeoftheimmigrationofthatparticularplaceandtime.TheyincludedWelshandEnglishQuakers,anIrishman,--withaCelticname,andapparentlynotaQuaker,--andpeace-lovingGermans,whowereamongthefoundersofGermantown,havingbeendrivenfromtheir RhinelandhomeswhenthearmiesofLouistheFourteenthravagedthePalatinate;and,inaddition,representativesofaby-no-meansaltogetherpeacefulpeople,theScotchIrish,whocametoPennsylvaniaalittlelater,earlyintheeighteenthcentury.Mygrandmotherwasawomanofsingularsweetnessandstrength,thekeystoneofthearchinherrelationswithherhusbandandsons.Althoughshewasnotherself Dutch,itwasshewhotaughtmetheonlyDutchIeverknew,ababysongofwhichthefirstlineran,"Trippetroppatronjes."Ialwaysrememberedthis,andwhenIwasinEastAfricaitprovedabondofunionbetweenmeandtheBoersettlers,notafewofwhomknewit,althoughatfirsttheyalwayshaddifficultyinunderstandingmypronunciation--atwhichIdonotwonder.ItwasinterestingtomeetthesemenwhoseancestorshadgonetotheCapeaboutthetimethatminewenttoAmericatwocenturiesandahalfpreviously,andtofindthatthedescendantsofthetwostreamsofemigrantsstillcroonedtotheirchildrensomeatleastofthesamenurserysongs.Ofmygreat-grandfatherRooseveltandhisfamilylifeacenturyandover agoIknowlittlebeyondwhatisimpliedinsomeofhisbooksthathavecomedowntome--theLettersofJunius,abiographyofJohnPaulJones,ChiefJusticeMarshall's"LifeofWashington."Theyseemtoindicatethathislibrarywaslessinterestingthanthatofmywife's
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